To the white folks in my community,
The murder of George Floyd – one in the history of so many lives taken -- has highlighted the horrific violence black bodies have endured for decades, and a legacy of institutional racism since the founding of this country that prevails to this day.
As we stand for black lives and the vibrancy of our communities, and demand structural changes so urgently needed, let’s also remember that real change has to start from within. The longevity of this moment depends on our capacity as white people to turn the lens onto ourselves.
White supremacy is the toxic water we’ve all been swimming in for a long, long time. Our bodies are poisoned. We each embody white supremacy in our own way. We have each benefitted from it in our own way. Participating in a system that dehumanizes others, we have each lost a part of our own humanity and exchanged it for privilege.
Now that we see, we can’t unsee. This is deep personal and collective work we are called to do. Because what’s at stake is not only black lives. It’s the humanity we have lost, and the collective liberation of all from this oppressive system.
I know my personal work to dismantle white supremacy from within me is long and hard. And my engagement to change the structures that keep it in place will need to be sustained and meaningful. I wanted to share some resources that have helped me deepen my inquiry and learn more about what it means to be a white ally today. I hope you’ll find them helpful, too.
Lastly, it is our responsibility as white folks to not just express our anger and grief in solidarity, but also hold a space of learning for one another so that the movement can continue to grow. Let’s do our best to help each other learn, rather than shame. Let’s support one other with love on this long, long journey.
Resources
Article:
How to Move from Non-Racist to Anti-Racist by Alexandria Love
Podcasts:
Notice the Rage, Notice the Silence with therapist and trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem
The world is Our Field of Practice with Rev Angel Kyodo Williams. Social evolution and the spiritual aspect of social healing.
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome with Joy DeGruy
What Do You Need to Say? A 20 min podcast with Black and POC people responding to that question in the days after George Floyd’s murder.
Film:
13th. In Ava DuVernay’s galvanizing documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.
Watch the trailer here. Available on Netflix.
Books:
Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Dr. Jasmine Syedullah
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Black-led Seattle-based organizations to support:
King County Equity Now. A coalition of long-standing, accountable, Black-led community-based organizations in King County. Learn about their demands here.
Black Lives Matter Seattle King County. A grassroots, volunteer-run, social-justice nonprofit organization focused on the empowerment and liberation of Blacks and other people of color through advocacy and direct action.
Read about their demands here.
Trainings:
Nourish. A social impact organization that advances anti-racist education within organizations and communities. A great resource to bring to your organization!
Holistic Resistance. A variety of programs held separately for white folks and BIPOC, including Disrupting Our Whiteness Program: Finding Wholeness in resistance (for white folks).
Compassionate Listening Meets White Fragility (for white folks).